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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26105749">Comfort</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burntcactii/pseuds/Burntcactii'>Burntcactii</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Family In Any Form [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Teen Titans (Animated Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Found Family, M/M, first chapter is jericho/herald centric but BIG family themes later on, jericho has a breakdown or two because. hyeah</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 03:28:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,583</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26105749</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burntcactii/pseuds/Burntcactii</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>They just...got along really easy. Jericho had been sleeping with Herald for almost the past week now, like it was natural. He was just so comfortable around Herald, and maybe he didn’t understand the connotation of sleeping together at all. Herald was able to read Jericho’s body language so well he hardly ever even needed sign. They both loved music, they liked calm atmospheres, they were just really comfortable around each other. </p><p>or</p><p>Jericho and Herald make up Titans North with the tots, and everyone knows that they're dating except them.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Mal Duncan/Joseph Wilson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Family In Any Form [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2094630</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Comfort</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Herald was <em> fuming </em> . He liked to think he was a generally chill person. He tended to avoid conflict, find a compromise, go with the flow- needless to say he was a hard person to anger. But Robin had stuck him with the <em> kids </em> - like some babysitter- he <em> wasn’t </em>a babysitter, he wasn’t good with kids, he was a hero!</p><p> </p><p>“You better tell me you’re jokin’ in the next three minutes, Robin.” Herald threatened, holding up the assignment papers Robin had handed out earlier in the day. With the Brotherhood proving that Robin’s mission to unite teen heroes was a necessary one, and most of the lesser villains being unfrozen last week from an outside force, they’d been split into factions all around the globe. Nothing was perfect, of course. Team bonds took a while to form, and not everyone was ecstatic about their assigned team and location.</p><p> </p><p>Herald was one of those people. </p><p> </p><p>“I am <em> not </em> a <em> babysitter </em> , Rob. And I do not fit in with all the gloom and doom and snowy weather they got in Russia, neither!” Herald griped. Robin was already holding his hands up in surrender, and Herald softened. He’d probably dealt with a <em> lot </em> of unhappy teens today, to be fair. </p><p> </p><p>“Listen, <em> I’m </em> not the one that put the teams together, that was Raven and Cy. They have a better feel for the dynamics of people and what powers are needed in what areas, take it up with them. They <em> explicitly </em> made sure the most I was really able to do was hand out the assignment papers.” Robin griped. </p><p> </p><p>Herald made a low frustrated noise before storming off and shoving his way through teen superheroes who were already excitedly exchanging stories and assignments and getting to know their future team members. At least it was just Raven he had to argue with. They had this sort of quiet understanding. Raven was smart, if she’d put Herald when she did there was a reason for it. He just wanted to see if he could squirm out of that reason.</p><p> </p><p>“Raven!” He called out, waving her down in the hallway and making sure to stay outside of her personal bubble. Raven smiled appreciatively, tilting her head in question. She appreciated Herald’s understanding as well. </p><p> </p><p>Neither of them were really… people compatible. Raven liked her space, and Herald didn’t like being close to people to begin with. They’d both been raised in vast isolation, and it’s just what they were accustomed to and comfortable with. Herald never overstepped, never hung around, never pushed her like the other Titans did. </p><p> </p><p>“Is something wrong?” She croaked, tilting her head. Herald was distraught, not at her specifically, but anyone could see he looked near panicking. </p><p> </p><p>“I… look,” He sighed, rubbing his temples. “Rob said you and Cy were the ones in charge of team placement. I just- I don’t think this is a good, I mean-” </p><p> </p><p>“I’m <em> not </em> a babysitter, Raven. I don’t <em> do </em> kids and I don’t <em> do </em> people. Why can’t you just send me back to the fifth plane and call on me when y’all need me like before?” Raven smiled at him like she knew the punchline to a joke. </p><p> </p><p>“People are <em> difficult </em> . But so is being a hero. I never would’ve put you on that team if I thought you couldn’t handle it, Malcolm. You’re a friend. And… just because you’re used to isolation, doesn’t mean it’s healthy. I would know. Getting alone with the original five was a <em> disaster </em>, I hated all of them at some point or another. It was painful- change is always painful. But…” Raven smiled at him before looking over to her friends, all excitedly chattering away with newer friends. “I couldn’t imagine my life without them now. They made me who I am, they’re my family.” </p><p> </p><p>Herald scoffed. “You? Not get along with them? I can see Beast Boy maybe making a road bump or two, but you an’ Star are like sisters. You and Rob got that weird silent communication thing going on too.” </p><p> </p><p>Raven winced. “<em> Please </em> don’t call us sisters. But, yeah. I threw Robin threw a wall once.” </p><p> </p><p>Herald couldn’t help but let out a guffawing laugh at that image and the monotone delivery of it. </p><p> </p><p>“Mal.” Raven said, placing a steady hand on his shoulder. “I trust you, and I trust the team placement I’ve given you. Give it a chance, give <em> us </em> a chance.” </p><p> </p><p>Herald sighed, knowing he’d lost. Raven was right, she was usually right. She had that all knowing big sister energy about her. “Can I at least ask why?” </p><p> </p><p>Raven rolled her eyes, slapping him on the shoulder. “Don’t be such a baby. He isn’t that bad. You might actually find you like being around Jericho.” </p><p> </p><p>“Jeri- wait- <em> Jericho </em>?” Mal shuffled through the papers violently. Raven snorted. Of course he’d stomped over to Robin the minute he saw the tyke’s names, not even reading the rest of the list. </p><p> </p><p>“Yes, boy blue. It’s you, Melvin, Timmy, Teether, and Jericho. Titans North.” Raven hummed as Herald simply stared down at the name. “Don’t get too in over your head Prince Charming.” </p><p> </p><p>Herald glared daggers at her as his face went red. “How do you know about-” Raven flicked his head as she walked away. “Telepath remember? Pining forever isn’t good for you. Try asking him out to a concert or, whatever it is hippies like him like.” </p><p> </p><p>“He’s a <em> nomad </em>!” Herald yelled after her even though she’d already stopped listening. “Not a-”</p><p> </p><p>Herald jumped out of his skin as he turned back around and found Jericho standing right next to him. “<em> Jesus! </em>” </p><p> </p><p>Jericho immediately starting to sign apologies, flushed red. He had a habit of doing that lately. </p><p> </p><p>Herald sighed and smiled. “It’s- it’s okay man, what’s up?” Jericho practically started vibrating in place, bouncing on his heels to show Herald his assignment documents. </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, yeah I saw, you excited?” Herald asked sarcastically. Jericho <em> was </em> jumping in place now, vigorously nodding. Herald couldn’t help but smile. Jericho was ridiculously nervous about his placement last night, he was terrified of the idea of being put in too large a city or around too many people, but Jericho and Herald had been basically inseparable since they’d met on the mountain. </p><p> </p><p>They just...got along really <em> easy </em>. Jericho had been sleeping with Herald for almost the past week now, like it was natural. He was just so comfortable around Herald, and maybe he didn’t understand the connotation of sleeping together at all. Herald was able to read Jericho’s body language so well he hardly ever even needed sign. They both loved music, they liked calm atmospheres, they were just really comfortable around each other. </p><p> </p><p>Herald froze as Jericho wrapped his arms around him in a tight hug, smiling up at him excitedly one more time before darting off to show Kole his assignment papers next. They were normally comfortable around each other, when Herald wasn’t being a creep. </p><p> </p><p>He dragged his hands over his face with a groan. This was going to be <em> hard </em> . He already harbored this weird half crush-half self loathing complex over Jericho. It was hard not to. Herald’s entire life had consisted of isolation and contentment over it. Then one day this excitable, bouncy blonde short stack just kind of barges his way into his life, and it’s hard <em> not </em> to harbor at least a small crush on him. He’s kind, and a fantastic listener, and pure hearted, and really, <em> really </em> pretty for a boy. </p><p> </p><p>And he listens to Herald. Herald was the first person he’d met outside of that mountain, so he tends to gravitate toward him in social gatherings or alone time or <em> anything </em>. Herald found out he had a complicated relationship with loneliness. He hates being alone, but he hates new social situations even more. And Herald was the most familiar out of everyone. He looked and signed and listened to Herald like he was the center of the world, like he was important. </p><p> </p><p>Herald felt like such a creep. Jericho looked to Herald like a best friend, a brother maybe. That’s what Herald assumed, anyway. Jericho didn’t think about Herald the way Herald thought about him. It was easy to ignore, Herald just locked the feelings away in a box because he was under the impression he was just going to go back to the fifth plane when all this was finished, and Jericho would eventually forget about him. But now they were on the same team. Together. In a tower. <em> Together </em>. </p><p> </p><p>Jericho just had this air of...fantasticality to him. It was hard not to fall into this little world of just him and you, at least it was in Herald’s case. He was completely new to the world, he had a dark past but he was completely untouched by greed or wrath or envy. He looked ripped straight out of a fairytale. He smiled like the sun and he found joy in everything. He was just so… pure. He was full of love for everything around him. It was hard not to want some of that love to be directed at him. </p><p> </p><p>Herald was broken out of his thoughts when Jericho came darting back and starting tugging on Herald’s arm, signing something about Kole and crystals and paint. </p><p> </p><p>Herald smiled, trying not to focus on Joey’s trusting grip on his arm. </p><p> </p><p>Titans North was going to be interesting. And Herald was going to kill Raven next time he saw her.</p>
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